Chapter 13 Lecture Enrichment Ideas
Query why only trisomies of chromosomes 21, 13, and 18 are seen in live births, and why these reduce the life span, often drastically. Why aren't trisomies of larger chromosomes able to produce a live individual?
Describe the methods of prenatal diagnosis and the means of recognizing carriers so that couples at risk for having a homozygous recessive child will know to test for a particular disorder.
Highlight the fact that in history, the woman is usually blamed for lack of male offspring. Yet, gametes from which sex actually determine the gender of the child?
Consider the possible effects of an X-linked disease on a carrier female, given the random inactivation of one X in each cell--half her cells would be expected to have the abnormal X active. Consider color blindness, for example, or Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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